A routine attempt to sell a dress online turned into an unsettling lesson in digital harassment for a Canberra journalist, after her Facebook Marketplace listing attracted a flood of unwanted and inappropriate messages from men.
From Sale Listing to Inbox Invasion
Lucy Arundell, a city reporter for The Canberra Times, listed a silver mini dress on Facebook Marketplace on December 27, 2025. The advertisement included photos of the garment being modelled, taken in a mirror. Within hours, her inbox was inundated with messages that had nothing to do with purchasing the item.
Instead, men began sending remarks like "Are you for sale" and "Do you come with it lol." Others proposed dates, asking if she would wear the dress for them or if her phone number was included. The listing amassed over 6500 views in under a day, a stark contrast to other items she had listed on a hanger, which received only a few dozen views.
The Disturbing Reach of Online Disinhibition
The response was not confined to Facebook Messenger. Arundell received a dozen friend requests from men with no mutual connections. Several follow requests also appeared on her separate, unlinked Instagram account, all from accounts that appeared to be male. The men were located in Canberra, Cooma, and Sydney, with one reportedly working in media at Parliament House.
Most profiles seemed legitimate, featuring real photos and hundreds of friends. Hannah Robertson, a PhD candidate at the Australian National University, explained this behaviour as a manifestation of the "online disinhibition effect." She stated that the perceived anonymity and distance of social media can lead people to act more aggressively than they would in person.
"You're not doing anything wrong, you are just there. In cyberspace there is an extent to which people feel entitled to access you and speak to you in a way that would essentially mirror catcalling on a street," Ms Robertson said.
A Systemic Failure in Platform Safety
Robertson criticised social media platforms for not being designed with user safety as a priority. She argued that companies like Meta, which owns Facebook, have been slow to implement effective safety measures and moderation systems.
"Tech is not neutral. Tech is imbued with the values and the beliefs and the morals of the people that created it," she said, highlighting how violence against women has permeated digital spaces.
In response to the harassment, Arundell reported each of the offending users to Facebook. At the time of reporting, she had not received any response from the platform. Her immediate recourse was to delete the intrusive messages.
This incident serves as a stark reminder of the vulnerabilities individuals, particularly women, can face on commonplace digital marketplaces, turning a simple commercial transaction into an unwelcome gateway for harassment.
